Migration is considered one of the defining
global issues of the early twenty-first
century, as more and more people are on the
move today than at any other point in human
history. There are now about 192 million
people living outside their place of birth,
which is about three per cent of the world's
population.

This means that roughly one of every
thirty-five persons in the world is a
migrant. Between 1965 and 1990, the number
of international migrants increased by 45
million-an annual growth rate of about 2.1
per cent. The current annual growth rate is
about 2.9 per cent.

Discourse on migration involves many
perspectives. There is growing recognition
that migration is an essential and
inevitable component of the economic and
social life of every State, and that orderly
and properly managed migration can be
beneficial for both individuals and
societies. The multiple and complex
dimensions of migration include:

labour migration,

family reunification,

migration and security,

combating irregular migration,

migration and trade,

migrant rights,

health and migration,

integration,

migration and development.

Policy makers and practitioners need to
develop a comprehensive understanding of the
multi-dimensional phenomenon of migration in
order to manage it effectively. A
comprehensive and cooperative approach to
international migration management is
required to deal with the migration
pressures of this century. Such an approach
will include policies and programmes for
migration and development, facilitating
migration, regulating migration, and forced
migration. To be successful, international
migration management cannot be undertaken by
governments unilaterally.

There are many global trends behind today's
mobile world that will impact migration and
migration management, including:

demographic trends,

economic disparities between developing and
developed countries,

trade liberalization necessitating a more
mobile labour force,

communication networks linking all parts of
the world,

transnational migration.

In the twenty-first century, the movement of
people will become even more significant as
a result of these trends.